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8 Ways Technology May Be Hurting You

Using Common Gadgets Can Cause Repetitive Strain Injuries

Blackberry thumb. Text neck. Gorilla arm. These are all terms for ways that frequent technology use can hurt our bodies. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these and other common repetitive strain injuries, or RSIs.

Repetitive motions, such as using your thumb to type text messages, can lead to tight muscles, making them more susceptible to overuse injuries such as strains and sprains. Overuse of joints and muscles can cause restricted blood flow, depriving muscles and tendons of oxygen and nutrients, and allowing chemical waste products such as lactic acid to build up.

“This continuum of repetitive stress goes back to the beginning of time,” says Charles Kim, MD, assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine and pain medicine at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation center in New York City. “These are not brand new injuries. They are renamed and revised to reflect modern technology.”

Here are some common ways technology hurts parts of our body, along with tips for preventing injury.

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Avoiding Gorilla Arm

Lifting your hands in front of you to touch display screens strains muscles and tendons in the shoulder, a condition called gorilla arm,” says Kim. “These are motions our body was not designed for.”

Tip: Limit your use of touch screens to devices that you can hold, and use computers with a keyboard and mouse whenever possible.

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How You Hold Your Head Matters

“Text neck” refers to pain and strain in the neck from prolonged bending forward to look down at a device. Kim describes the neck as a pedestal that the head, which weighs 10 to 15 pounds, is balanced on. When you stare down at your device, the muscles of your neck have to stabilize your head. “You use some muscles more than others, and it causes wear and tear,” says Kim.

Tip: Hold your device up in front of you when you read and type.

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Sitting Pretty for Your Back's Sake

Sitting on a chair at a desk working on computers that are not adjusted properly for you can cause lower back pain and pressure.

Tip: Place the center of your computer screen four to five inches below eye level, and 20 to 28 inches from your eyes. Increase font sizes to help you see without having to hunch forward.

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Protect Your Wrist When Typing

Prolonged typing and moving a mouse compresses and inflames the nerve running through the wrist to the hand, which can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), five million American workers suffer from repetitive stress injuries to the wrist.

Tip: Keep your wrists in a neutral position, and don’t rest them on the keyboard when you type.

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A Thumbs Down on Hand Pain

Using your thumb to text frequently injures thumb muscles, joints, and tendons. Known as De Quervain's tendinosis, this hand condition is also referred to as Blackberry or text thumb.

No Elbows on the Table

Computer work can increase tension around the ulnar nerve, which passes through the elbow. This condition, called cubital tunnel syndrome, can cause numbness and tingling in your ring and small finger, and soreness in the elbow and forearm.

Tip: Padding on hard surfaces helps reduce pressure on the back of the elbows.

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Don't Be Unwise With Your Eyes

Prolonged use of devices with screens can cause computer vision syndrome (CVS). Symptoms include eye strain, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. Fortunately, the condition is not permanent, says Amy Zimmerman, MD, an ophthalmologist at Katzen Eye Group in Baltimore. Dr. Zimmerman says our bodies were built for viewing objects that are 20 or 30 feet away. “Most people get blurry vision if they focus [close up] for a long time,” she says.

Tip: More than 70 percent of people who have CVS symptoms wear glasses or contact lenses. “If you read with glasses, get computer-strength glasses,” says Zimmerman. “They're weaker than reading glasses, but useful if you work extensively on the computer.” Control lighting to minimize glare and reflection, or use an anti-glare filter. Look away from your screen periodically, and take rest breaks every two hours.

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Music to Your Ears Can Harm Them

Earbuds allow us to listen to audio entertainment wherever we are, without disrupting others. Unlike over-the-ear headphones, however, earbuds deliver sound very close to the eardrum, says Aaron Moberly, MD, assistant professor in the department of otolaryngology at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. Prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage sensitive structures in the ears and cause hearing loss. “People like to experience music at louder levels,” says Dr. Moberly. One in five adolescents today has some degree of hearing loss, according to the American Osteopathic Association. As Moberly points out, there’s no good treatment once you lose your hearing.

Tip: Moberly suggests keeping your device volume at or below the halfway point. If you’re using earbuds and can’t hear sounds around you, or the person next to you can hear your music, the volume is too high.

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Remember the 90-Degree Rule

The best way to prevent repetitive strain injuries is by taking frequent breaks and setting up your work environment to minimize strain or fatigue. Many companies consult ergonomic specialists to help employees optimize their workspace.

Tip: Kim says to remember the 90-degree rule when working on a computer or other device. Position your feet flat on the floor and adjust your chair, desk, and computer so your knees, hips, back, and elbows are all at roughly 90 degrees.